Ripening beef for steak. There are several approaches to the maturation of meat
Meat aging, also called such terms as fermentation and maturation, is a special preparatory process in order to improve the final properties of beef cuts for further preparation from it.
After the bull was slaughtered at the slaughterhouse and its carcass was butchered, various chemical processes, that is, the structure and properties change.
The initial stage in the preparation of the carcass is its maturation for several hours after slaughtering and butchering. At this time, all the muscles of the bull are completely relaxed and softened. With exposure, it is already possible to send cuts to the supermarket for sale.
What are the methods of exposure
Further development of decomposition processes leads to the final necrosis of all tissues, changes in color and odor, water level and acid content. But if the process takes place at a strictly defined humidity, then the enzymes are able, on the contrary, to improve the properties of the bull carcass, and this is in the hands of all lovers of delicious steaks.
There are several types of meat aging for beef steaks:
- Dry
- Wet
- Combined
More on all of them below.
Dry-aged meat
With this method of preparing beef for steaks, it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime and the level of humidity in the meat aging chamber. It is carried out at a temperature of 1 to 5 degrees Celsius. IN industrial scale for the aging of meat, a special refrigerator is used, where ideal conditions are created.
The main purpose of ripening is to break down the animal's muscle tissue so that the steak is soft and not rubbery. It is also very important in this process to change for the better the natural smell of beef. Thanks to this, in the best restaurants do not use any marinades when cooking real steaks, because the taste of the cut has already been revealed during languishing.
This process occurs due to biochemical reactions that begin immediately after the slaughter of the bull. Special enzymes begin to quickly destroy the muscles of the animal, and fungal compounds appear on the surface of the cut, which give a unique flavor.
These fungi are removed at the end of the ripening period by cutting off the top layer.
The term of this type of aging is on average from 14 to 35 days. Often in restaurants in the US and Europe, when ordering a traditional steak, you will eat a cut aged in this way for 18 to 25 days.
In some cultures and countries, for example, in Florence, aging can be found within 50 and even up to 100 days. The fact is that in these countries the culture of consuming steaks has gone far ahead. And there they appreciate this dish very well and know how to cook it correctly.
And the longest exposure known today is about 400 days. But such raw materials are not entirely suitable for consumption, due to an overly harsh aroma. It is rather used in very expensive restaurants as an ingredient in haute cuisine.
The disadvantages of this method include:
Loss of significant carcass mass during fermentation. This is due to the evaporation of moisture. And also before direct cooking, the upper fungal layer is removed from the pieces. All this leads to an increase in the price of the final raw material.
And also in connection with the need to constantly monitor and control this maturation process, additional staff is needed. This is an extra cost for a steak house.
What meat to choose
For the preparation of steaks, the meat of gobies of certain breeds that ate grass and grain is suitable - it evenly contains fatty layers. They not only affect the structure and taste of meat, but also protect it from harmful microorganisms. regular beef not suitable for aging.For dry aging, it is important to choose the right cut - from the loins or ribs of the carcass - and on the bone, as it also imparts shades of its aroma to the meat. On the surface of such a cut should be a fatty layer.
The weight of a cut for steaks is at least 8 kg, otherwise it will dry out too much.
What happens to meat
While aging is underway, under the influence of the meat's own enzymes, the process of autolysis begins, in which the physical and Chemical properties muscle tissue. As a result of the destruction of connective tissues, the structure of the meat softens, and due to the loss of moisture, its taste becomes saturated. This is especially evident in the meat of grass-fed animals - its pronounced "beef" taste becomes characteristically sweet.A dry crust is formed on the surface of the cut, on which colonies of fungi develop - it forms a kind of "packaging" of the cut, protecting it from the effects of pathogenic microflora, and also adds flavor to the meat. It is removed before cutting into steaks.
What does the process look like
After slaughtering the animal, fresh meat is placed in special ventilated cabinets, which maintain an optimal microclimate for aging: temperature 1–3 ° C, humidity 75–85% and slow air circulation. Under such conditions, the risk of reproduction of pathogenic bacteria in the meat is minimized.The meat is hung on hooks or placed on grates and kept for 15-30 days, obtaining high-quality raw materials for steaks. After a week, it begins to soften, but it becomes really tasty and tender after another week. The most popular aging period is 21 days. During this time, the meat loses up to 30 percent of its weight, literally concentrating the taste and aroma in itself. It makes the perfect steak.
Economic aspect
Taking into account all the losses and costs - cut weight reduction, aging time, overhead costs - the price of the final product is high. Therefore, it makes sense to use dry aging only for high-quality marbled meat.Equipment
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Automatic control: all the main parameters and stages of technology are included in the program.
Dry aging chambers are similarly constructed, but cuts can be stored either on shelves or on hooks. The level of humidity in the chambers is regulated with the help of special salt cassettes: when it is too high, the cassettes are placed in the chamber and the salt absorbs excess moisture.
What can be cooked
Basically, the technology is intended for aging beef steaks and ribs, but in Lately it is also used in the dry aging of the meat of other animals and poultry.Where dry aging is needed
Thanks to aging, the menu steakhouses and others restaurants specializing in meat, there will always be dishes highest quality with a unique taste.I have often heard that meat must be aged before becoming a steak. Why, I thought. After all, if the meat is of high quality, from a good bull of the Angus or Hereford breed, with the right degree of marbling, what else is needed for a tasty and proper steak. I did not understand why there is a piece of meat that has been lying somewhere for a whole month, and sometimes even longer. Correctness - again approached the topic of correctness. Until I tried aged steak, I did not understand what the process was and why aged steaks really taste better.
So, an aged steak has more rich taste and delicate soft texture. It makes no sense to compare fresh meat and aged steak. Of course, there is no need to talk about fresh meat for steaks in Russia, since there are almost no farms that grow Angus in Russia. However, for information, I will tell you about this process.
Exposure can last from several days to a month. In some cases, the meat is aged for several months.
Most of meat that is served in steakhouses in Russia (for example, in Goodman) passes wet exposure. What is wet aging? Imagine that meat is purchased in Australia, transported in a special vacuum packed practically in own juice". This method, of course, is cheaper and more economical, since the exposure takes place during the transportation itself. With this method of exposure, the meat does not lose moisture and, accordingly, does not lose weight.
Dry aging, on the contrary, takes place in a special refrigeration room, where special conditions in terms of temperature and humidity ventilation. 
This process is economically justified only with meat of the highest quality and marbling - this is if we speak from the point of view restaurant business. During aging, the meat is placed on shelves or hung. 
The temperature is maintained at 2-4 degrees, humidity is maintained at 50-75%. Also a key success factor for aging meat is good air circulation, for which the room where the meat is aged must be equipped with good ventilation. During the aging process, excess moisture evaporates from the cut of meat, the fibers soften and fermentation begins. Thus, the meat becomes softer, and the taste is much more intense.
As the meat loses moisture during the aging process, it also shrinks in size. Let's calculate the time it takes to age the meat, all the overhead costs, which gives us a higher price for the final product. 
The big question is, can we age steak meat at home? The answer is yes, if we follow a few rules.
1. Only the highest quality marbled meat should be aged. It is in such cuts of meat (I note that we are not talking about chopped steaks) that the fat on the outside prevents meat from spoiling during the aging process.
2. Buy a cut of striploin or ribeye - sold at Metro Cash and Carry. Already cut steaks usually do not undergo the aging process. Remove a piece of meat from the package, rinse, blot paper towels.
3. Wrap the meat in the cleanest large cotton (I call them waffle) towels and place on the shelf of the refrigerator with the lowest temperature.
4. Change your towel every day, replacing wet towels with dry ones. Used towels can be washed and reused.
5. After reaching the desired aging time, cut off your steaks from the cut of meat, and continue to store the remaining piece in the refrigerator
6. After 21 days, it is still advisable to eat or freeze the uneaten meat.
Does this whole process look a little "gemorrhoid"?JIn this case, I suggest that you do not bother and go eat steaks in steakhouses, but I hope that I managed to tell something new.
Aging or aging of meat - important process culinary training raw meat to further preparation.
The right approach to it allows you to receive high quality product with optimal organoleptic properties, which will become ideal basis for steaks meat stew, boiled pork, broths, etc.
What should you know about the maturation of meat?
First, let's define the concepts. So, ripening is the process of keeping raw meat, aimed primarily at softening the muscle tissue in it, changing the chemical and physical properties, namely density, taste, color and smell, as well as water-retaining qualities. scientific name this process is autolysis.
Stages of maturation
Autolysis proceeds in several stages:1. Fresh meat
2. Rigor
3. End of rigor. Maturation.
The stages smoothly flow into one another and have their own characteristics, having become acquainted with which we will understand the gastronomic value of aged meat.
1. Steam meat.
Meat is considered paired for a short time after slaughter. For poultry, this period is 30 minutes, for beef and pork - no more than 4 hours. For fresh meat, a dense, moist texture is characteristic, the absence of a pronounced meaty smell and taste. The broth from such raw materials turns out to be cloudy with a faint aroma. The pH level of quality fresh meat is 7.2 units.2. The beginning of change. Rigor.
This period begins 3-4 hours after slaughter and reaches its peak after 24-48 hours, at a temperature of 0-4°C. The meat at this stage is characterized by rigidity and low water-holding properties, and the pH level gradually decreases towards acidity. On sample, the meat is dryish with a characteristic sour taste.3. End of rigor. Maturation.
The acid accumulated in the previous stages in the meat softens the muscle tissue, and it loses its elasticity. A noticeable decrease in stiffness is observed after 5-7 days at 0-4C °, reaching optimal performance after 25-30 days. Taste and aroma characteristics reach an optimum after an average of 2 weeks, subsequently remaining at this level unchanged. The moisture-retaining properties of meat also increase.The rate of maturation of the product depends on its type, as well as on the age of the animal - the meat of old animals changes more slowly than the meat of young animals.
| № | Stages | Time | t C | pH |
Characteristics |
| 1 | Fresh meat | 0.5 h (bird) 2-4 h (cattle) |
0-4s | 7,2 |
Tender, juicy, pronounced odor and taste |
| 2 |
Rigor |
3-48 h | 0-4s | 5,5 |
Elastic, dry, with a sour taste |
| 3 | Rigor resolution (maturation) |
5-30 days or more | 0-4s | 5,5 |
Soft, juicy, characteristic taste and smell of meat |
Features of the stages of autolysis
Dry and wet aging
To date, two main methods of meat ripening are known and successfully used, namely:- wet exposure;
- dry exposure.
This method appeared relatively recently. For its implementation, the product is placed in a vacuum plastic bag, where it is kept without air from several days to 4 weeks. At the same time, raw materials practically do not lose weight, losing only 5% of moisture. The final product becomes very soft, juicy and tender. Almost 90% of raw meat in the world is prepared using the wet method.
Dry exposure.
This method known for a long time and used almost everywhere. It is aimed at evaporating moisture and softening the connective tissue as a result of fermentation. The meat is placed in special chambers (and earlier in the basement) and kept at a special temperature and humidity. After 15-30 days, it reaches the optimal degree of ripening, gets a wonderful rich taste and delicate texture. At the same time, the raw material loses significantly in weight - up to 20-30% of the original. The dried upper edge of a dry-aged meat piece requires cutting, which also reduces the weight of the product. These features increase the final cost, and meat after dry aging is very rarely found on the open market, but is used in restaurants and steakhouses.
Process automation. Meat aging equipment.
If the ripening technologies are violated, the meat may deteriorate. To prevent this from happening indoors, it is important to maintain an optimal microclimate. However, in normal conditions this is quite difficult to achieve. Modern manufacturers of kitchen equipment offer their own solution - cabinets for aging meat.
This equipment is designed specifically to create the necessary temperature and humidity conditions for raw material aging. Management of such devices is quite simple, because all important points already programmed and the stages will follow each other automatically. Cabinets are equipped with thermostats, which, depending on the model, maintain the temperature in the range from -7 to +4C°. They do not require service support, and cleaning them is similar to cleaning a refrigerator. As a rule, cabinets have several tiers, transparent doors and a control unit that allows you to create your own programs. Undoubtedly, automation greatly facilitates the process of product preparation. Cabinets are successfully used on restaurant kitchens, steakhouses and other establishments, including elite ones, allowing you to achieve great results With minimal effort. Our website contains a catalog of high-quality equipment for meat aging from the most well-known manufacturers with the best value for money. I've been meaning to write this post for a long time. But this is not written quickly. My hands are still shaking because the topic is a bit "slippery". I will make a reservation right away. I will tell you the theory, my experience, and the experience of people who helped me a lot in writing this post. Further, each of you is responsible for your own health, and applies your common sense and intuition.
Because we will talk about the maturation of meat in general and the maturation of meat at home.
The formal part of the post
Let's start with theory, so let's turn to Mr. McGee and Peter (pachom), who kindly helped me write this post.
Like cheese and wine, meat gets better when it is kept for a certain period of time, during which there will be a gradual change in it. chemical composition. Thanks to this, it becomes more tasty, fragrant and tender. In the 19th century, beef and lamb carcasses were stored for days or even weeks at room temperature until the outside rotted. The French called this "mortification", and the great chef of the time, Antonin Karem, said that this process should take as long as possible.
Today we prefer to eat less mortified flesh. In the USA (note of the author of the post: I think in Russia even more so), for the most part, meat ages insignificantly, only for a few days, during which the meat is delivered from the packing plant to the store. This period is sufficient for chicken, which lasts 1-2 days of aging, and for pork and lamb, which lasts a week (unsaturated fats in pork and poultry become rancid quickly enough). But in beef, the taste and texture can improve within a month. Especially when the whole unwrapped parts of the carcass are kept at a temperature of 1-3 ºС and air humidity of 70-80%.
Enzymes in action
Meat aging is due to muscle enzymes. After slaughter, the animal's body ceases to function. At this time, the enzymes present in the meat activate chemical processes that destroy muscle fibers, making the meat more tender and finally forming its flavor "bouquet". During the aging process (aging) of meat, which can last from 2 to 28 days, proteolytic enzymes (calpain, cathepsin, etc.) contained in meat slowly break down large molecules and turn proteins into amino acids, glycogen into glucose, and fats - in aromatic fatty acid. All this contributes to the softening of the meat and the enrichment of its flavors, while the temperature and humidity inhibit the development of bacteria and mold, without interfering with the work of enzymes. You can only endure large pieces: whole carcasses, half carcasses, or, in extreme cases, quarters.
Aging has been the subject of lively debate in recent years. First, butchers and steak lovers discuss the type: dry or wet. Supporters of the dry method emphasize that wet aging only softens the meat, but does not affect its aroma, while dry aging makes the smell more expressive, accentuating shades similar to the smell of game.
Dry - the most ancient, takes place in a special refrigeration room, where special conditions are created in terms of temperature and ventilation humidity.
During aging, the meat is placed on shelves or hung.
The temperature is maintained at 2-4 degrees, humidity is maintained at 50-75%. Also a key success factor for aging meat is good air circulation, for which the room where the meat is aged must be equipped with good ventilation. During the aging process, excess moisture evaporates from the cut of meat, the fibers soften and fermentation begins. Thus, the meat becomes softer, and the taste is much more intense.
As the meat loses moisture during the aging process, it also shrinks in size. Let's calculate the time it takes to age the meat, all the overhead costs, which gives us a higher price for the final product.
The dry aging process is economically justified only with meat of the highest quality and marbling - this is if we are talking from the point of view of the restaurant business.
Wet aging - over recent invention, which involves packaging meat in a film, or vacuum packaging. During wet aging, the meat loses much less weight, since 70% of the meat is water, which, of course, evaporates during dry aging (weight loss during aging under film is about 5% versus almost 20% during normal hanging). In addition, during dry aging, a rather hard crust forms on the surface of the meat, which must be cut off before cutting, which further increases the loss. An additional inconvenience is that wet aging can take place in stages, first at the slaughterhouse, then at the butcher's, while dry aging must take place all the time in one place. Therefore, about 90% of the meat in the world is now kept wet.
Most of the meat that is served in steakhouses in Russia (eg Goodman) is wet aged. The meat is purchased in Australia, transported in a special vacuum package, practically in its own juice. This method, of course, is cheaper and more economical, since the exposure takes place during the transportation itself.
Similar, but at times accelerated process occurs when meat is cooked. If the meat is quickly seared in a pan or blanched in boiling water to kill germs on the surface, then cooked slowly at low temperatures For example in an oven, the enzymes in the meat will be very active for the first few hours until they are broken down. A piece of beef carcass weighing 23 kg, which is gradually brought to a temperature of 50-55 º C over 10 hours, turns out to be more tender than the same meat, cut into small portions and prepared in a "quick" way.
Main question - can we age steak meat at home? The answer is yes, if we stick to a few rules.
These rules were formulated by Peter. I will now voice them, with my additions.
1. Only the highest quality marbled meat should be aged. It is in such cuts of meat (I note that we are not talking about chopped steaks) that the fat on the outside prevents meat from spoiling during the aging process.
2. Buy a cut of striploin or ribeye - sold, for example, at the Metro Cash and Carry store. Already cut steaks usually do not undergo the aging process. Remove a piece of meat from the package, rinse, pat dry with paper towels.
3. Wrap the meat in the cleanest large cotton towel or cheesecloth and place on the lowest temperature shelf in the refrigerator. Preferably 0-3 º C. And it would be nice not just on the shelf, but on the grate. It is better not to put other products on this shelf during the entire aging process.
4. Change your towel every day, replacing wet towels with dry ones. Used towels can be washed and reused. At first, the meat must be carefully observed, perhaps even changing towels several times a day.
5. After reaching the desired aging time, cut off your steaks from the cut of meat, and continue to store the remaining piece in the refrigerator
6. After 21 days, uneaten meat is still desirable to eat or freeze.
The informal part of the post
So my experience:
Let's start with steaks. Yes, I certainly read that the steaks do not stand. But I'm a stubborn girl, so I decided to try anyway. I bought 2 ribeye steaks in the Metro, and kept them for a week.
Result: 1 steak was very dry, the other was dry on top. There was no mold. In general, it was possible to eat, but the juiciness of the dried steak was clearly not enough. The taste has improved markedly.
But, nevertheless, it is not worth aging steaks for more than 2 days.
All this is great, you say. Rib-eyes, striploins and other Australian bourgeois habits are yours. It is expensive, expensive for us to buy a piece of Australian cow for 3000-5000 rubles. Isn't it possible to make our native beef old?
You can age. I personally tried.
I bought a piece of a thick edge weighing 2 kg on the market. The total cost is 500 rubles.
I came home and the epic with gauze began. Even when I left for a week, specially trained relatives went to change the gauze. They even say that my usually calm and tenderly loving father-in-law threw a scandal on his wife. In short, he said that I was crazy, determined to poison the whole family. Oh well, I was away.
Yes, the meat did look suspicious. I understand him.
What bothered me the most was that on the cut it continued to be wet. So slightly (faint of heart do not read further) slimy. It smelled not to say appetizing, but not rotten either.
Here comes the 21st day. I courageously took the meat out of the refrigerator, armed myself with a sharp Japanese chef, and began to cut. Under the spoiled layer, I found absolutely ordinary, bright red, normal-smelling meat. Fresh, that is to say, meat. As if just from the store (from the market).
Having hung a piece, I found out that from two kilograms I had 700 grams left. Also consider the costal bones. They had to be cut off, because I don’t have that ax and strength, and besides, picking out spoiled pieces of meat from them would be too dreary.
It tasted like regular Russian beef. This is not Australia, not England, not Spain and the list goes on. But the meat was very tender. It's true. For the purity of the experience, I should have tasted this meat before ripening. But…….good thought comes after. 
First, I cut off two small pieces and fried them. Sorry, the degree of roasting was absolute. I don’t know why, I didn’t have the courage to eat this meat with blood, or even medium degree roasting. Here is the Australian meat that has already set you on edge, eat it, but our native could not.
The remaining piece I marinated in olive oil, soy sauce with chili flakes, ibmir and coriander. Again, with a good ribeye, I would not do this, so as not to clog its amazing taste, which no longer requires any words or actions. And there was nothing to score here, rather, there was something to embellish. When my unsuspecting husband came home, I "burned" the heated room temperature grilled meat in a frying pan on all sides, and in it she sent it to an oven preheated to 160 º C. Bake until completely cooked through. Why, read above.
What do you say? We had a good dinner with this very meat, a salad of juicy and sweet tomatoes with red onions, pickles with pimples, cilantro and goat feta. Washed down with dry red wine. But, this is not the same Australian meat from which you want to live up to 100 years and eat only it.
So don't expect miracles. I was also warned about this by a wonderful girl Rita, who has amazing interesting magazine. So Rita often ages meat.
Yesterday I sent her a personal email. I think our letters to each other will help you further clarify the picture. Rita does not consider herself a specialist, but she has much more experience than I do. And therefore I advise you to listen to it.
The most informal part of the post
Me: Rita, hi!
It's me again with my cows))
I finally got to the meat and its aging.
She did, and then reread our correspondence. I realized that I made several mistakes. I didn't put the meat on the grill. Changed gauze once a day.
I bought a thick edge weighing 2 kg.
And everything would be fine, but the meat on top all the time remained moist, a little slimy, it smelled normal. Today cut off, inside everything is beautiful. Fine. Even ate two pieces, still alive.
What do you think about this topic?
I have already ordered an Australian entrecote, I will try again, this time with a grill.
Can I send you a couple of pictures, tell me if I will live?
Now I will bake the remaining piece in the oven.
Rita: hello :)
Olya, you ask me like that, as if I were a major specialist. And I've never written anything like that about myself. So, sometimes I stand meat. We also have meat that is completely unsuitable for such manipulations with it. And personally, if I had the opportunity, I would buy seasoned and not bathe.
If the meat is from an animal of a special breed and fattening, then at 0-(+4) Celsius it will remain dry. And if standard fattening, then yes, it will be wet. And in such cases, I not only change the gauze once a day, but for the first 3-5 days I constantly watch the meat, wipe it dry and change the gauze 4.5 times a day. At first, the meat can be left without gauze for a while, so that it dries up and forms a crust. But don't overuse it. And when a crust has already formed on the meat, then you can change the gauze less often, after about a week you can even once a day.
Judging by your photos, you figured everything out well without help :)
A with Australian beef I think it will be even easier.
Me: Rita, thanks for the reply! I would buy it too if it was on sale.
This was clearly my mistake (about gauze 5 times a day), and I forgot about the grate.
Mine was wet, you can't see it in the photo. And it scared me. Although the gauze itself, when I took it off, was almost dry. But we ate until everything is OK)) The taste was not impressive. But it was soft, yes.
And about breeds and fattening - these are your observations, or did you read where?
And another question: can a piece of 2 kg be dried, or should a piece be larger?
You may not be an expert, but I no longer found people in our livejournal doing this on a regular basis. So your help is invaluable to me!
Rita:
You just need to keep an eye on the meat, not to let it get wet at all, and it is desirable that the room is ventilated, and the temperature is appropriate, and in the refrigerator it is not only difficult, but troublesome to follow this. So I say that you need to rush with him like a fool with a mortar. This is the whole secret. Therefore, it is better to engage in aging in the fall, when it is possible to take the meat into the barn or onto the balcony. Well, as a result, ripe meat, which is not suitable for steaks a priori, by its nature. And the taste, of course, is not the same.
And my observations. But this is also intuitive. Meat of special fattening has a specific structure, it contains numerous fatty inclusions. And fat, it kind of "melts", and not "gets wet". As a result, a piece of meat with such a structure does not become wet, but floats with fat. It will quickly form a crust. And for such meat, compliance with temperature regime and sufficient air circulation than the humidity parameters. This is if on the fingers :)
A piece, of course, would be nice if there was more. Then you will lose less when trimming.
You can just count. How much steaks do you want and how much do you want them to weigh, plus 15-20 percent for shrinkage and trimming.
Results
This concludes my saga, but temporarily. Because I will continue my experiments. You understand that you can age Russian meat, imported meat, various pieces of it, different amount days. Only experience can lead to perfection. And so that you do not get bored, I will tell you about my experiences. The next to go is meat from……..yes, yes, Australia!
But the story of this is not earlier than in a month.
Yes, I'm leaving now. Let me just summarize:
Domestic meat can and should be ripened. Initially, it does not have a special aroma and brightness of taste, it is often hard. After aging, the meat will definitely become soft. But hardly fragrant. That's the kind of beef we have. Alas and ah, it is not suitable for steaks. But just a very good fried or baked meat is guaranteed to you. But this is of course, if initially it is of digestible quality. Better yet, go to the market, to the butcher, who can be at least somewhat trusted.
P.S. By the way, I have experience in purchasing Russian aged meat. Kind of like a farmer's. Allegedly, even Angus grown in domestic open spaces. The sheepskin was not worth the candle. The meat was absolutely normal. Albeit soft.
P.S. Thank you very much for your help.
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